Driving from BC to AZ with 3 kids and a big dog in a very slow truck

[Ray Hyland]

Hi everyone,

we are setting off on a family road-trip on July 1st for 3 weeks.
Starting in BC, going to Prescott AZ and back, planning on a bit of a loop.

We will take Hwy 3 east across BC and cross at Creston into Idaho, turning East at Bonners Ferry, and following the backroads that parallel I90 down to Butte MT. We will do the 4th of July in Butte with some friends from Bali.

After that we plan to head south to Salt Lake City, then East to Moab, West again to the Grand Canyon, and finally south to Prescott. Hope to be in Prescott around the 7th or 8th. (The ExPo Open House is there on the 9th).

Heading back up we will go via Vegas, Central Oregon, Yakima, etc.

We will be driving the Defender with a little fold-out trailer. Top speed of the Defender on any road is about 45mph, so taking the Interstates doesn't make much sense for us. And we will have three little kids and a big dog.

So I am hoping for a few suggestions:

Firstly, what secondary roads would you personally recommend along the routes we have planned?

Second, do you have any favorite camping spots to recommend along these routes? Our trailer is basically a fold-open tent with some storage underneath. No electricity hook ups or water hookups or sewer hookups, etc. We prefer "primitive" camping. Basically a quiet spot off the road somewhere, where there are not many people. A BLM campsite or something like that is fine, but no RV parks. Ideally something that we don't need to drive for an hour down a fire-road to find. The trailer is not an extreme 4x4 trailer, but it will handle a decommissioned forest road and cross-ditches OK.

Third, any recommendations for must-see spots along that route for 3 boys aged 8-11? They are typical boys, who are happy with sticks to play with and a fire to sit around, but something like an Anasazi village, dinosaur bones, ghost-town, or cave tour would be pretty cool to see too.

Fourth, any recommendations on the "best cheeseburger on Route 12" or "the thickest milkshakes in Moab" etc would also be pretty cool. I find little milestones like that to look for really help break up a day for the kids.

Thanks everybody, looking forward to some cool (and fun) suggestions.

Cheers

Ray

 

[paulj]

Since you are coming north through central Oregon, the milk shakes at the gas station in Fields (on the way to Steens Mtn) have a high reputation. Of course their gas prices are high as well.

ID/MT 200 is a good alternative to I90 at least from Sandpoint to Missoula. I wouldn't call it a backroad, but in this mountainous region it's hard to find a through route that is also minor. Come to think of it I did drive a lesser road along that valley for a ways north of Thompson Falls (probably Blue Slide Rd).

When I last drove Seattle to Moab, I took I84 east from Ogden, then I80 south a bit to Wanship, and then lesser roads like UT 32 and 35 to Duchesne, then US191 through Price to I70 and on to Moab. At least the Wanship to Price leg was minor while still paved. US6 through Price is relatively busy since it is a good cutoff between I70 and SLC.

On the way south from Moab you will want to take 261 down Mokie Dugway to Mexican Hat. with side trips to Mulie Pt and Valley of the Gods.

In Oregon, once north of Burns (US20) you'll have plenty of backroads options.

 

[loren85022]

We'll hope to see you in Prescott on the 9th. If you get into Az with time to spare, or even after the gig on the 9th, the boys will enjoy Slide Rock State Park just north of Sedona. And for sure you'll enjoy the scenic route 89A that runs from Sedona through Jerome and over to Prescott. Plenty of us run it at or about 45 mph.

 

[Team Wild]

Near Butte MT you can stop at Lewis and Clark Caverns. Its cool. The kids love it.

http://fwp.mt.gov/parks/visit/lewisAndClarkCaverns/

 

[Pskhaat]

Might I suggest Craters of the Moon, NP. http://www.nps.gov/crmo/index.htm My kids love that place.


View on Google Maps

Make sure you take Hwy163 out of Bluff instead of Hwy191 going to the Grand Canyon, worth the drive there if you have not been? I'd say to camp in the Valley of the Gods, but it'll be darned hot, I reckon. Good camping in the Abajos which are due East from Monticello, UT on the way down, and much cooler temps up there.

PM me if you want some good semi-remote kid locations in Moab when you're there (couldn't tell if you know the area?)

 

[Ray Hyland]

Awesome suggestions, thanks everyone.

Not sure if we will make it to Moab, we may need to do another trip down in September...

:drool:

 

[eric1115]

If you want to go to Craters of the Moon, I'd take US93 through Salmon and Challis almost to MacKay, then Trail Creek Road to Ketchum and SH75 south to US20 to get to Craters. There's some great country along that route, not too much traffic, and some good dirt back road driving from MacKay to Ketchum. It's a bit circuitous to go there on the way from Butte to SLC (adds ~100 miles), but it's absolutely beautiful, and some of the most remote country in the lower 48. Definitely get off the I15 corridor if you can. If you head this way I can recommend some great camping in the Ketchum area. As remote or as easy/accessible as you'd like.

Eric

 

[Ray Hyland]

If I go West from Butte, along the little roads past Mt Haggin, and connect to Hwy 43, and take 43 W/SW to Wisdom, and then West from Wisdom along 43 to Hwy 93, and head South from there, is that a doable route? Hard to tell what the roads around Mt Haggin are like from the map.

 

[paulj]

I've crossed the US93 pass, and driven a short ways on 43 toward Wisdom. That would be a suitable route. 43 pass the Big Hole historic battle field.

There are numerous BLM riverside campgrounds along the Salmon River from US93 north of Salmon on south to Challis. In Challis you can also pick up the Custer Motorway
http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/sc/yankeefork/custermotorway.shtml
to Custer and the Yankee Fork gold mining district.

 

[Ray Hyland]

Having driven this route about 8 times now, if anyone wants any recommendations, let me know.

Cheers

Ray

 

[plainjaneFJC]

Why does the defender only do 45?

 

[Ray Hyland]

Why does the defender only do 45?

Ah, the 200tdi was never a race-horse, and I have reduced the gearing from 3.54 to 4.75 so that slowed things down a bit. Add a trailer on the hills and we have a low average speed...

Although now that I put some better tires on it, we were doing up to 55-60 on the flat stretches on the last trip.